BJP MLA urges Maha CM Eknath Shinde to form panel to draft UCC

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA demanded the formation of a committee to draft a bill for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Maharashtra, saying the UCC will bring equality among men and women.

The MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar, who represents the Kandivali East constituency in Mumbai, made the demand through a letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

The Supreme Court while responding to an appeal filed against a committee formed by the Uttarakhand government for UCC had stated the states have the right to draft such law. The Maharashtra government thus should also form a committee that would draft a bill for UCC, he stated.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation challenging the decisions of the Uttarakhand and Gujarat governments to constitute committees for implementing UCC.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already struck down triple talaq and given relief to Muslim women. With UCC, there will be equality among men and women, he said.

UCC is a proposal to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens that apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion, gender and sexual orientation.